Child-proof overcap for an aerosol can

ABSTRACT

A child-proof over cap for an aerosol can. The cap has a skirt with two or more inwardly protruding lugs at its lower edge which are evenly spaced circumferentially. There is an annular element on the can which has a similar number of outwardly extending lug threads adapted to be engaged by the lugs. The lug threads have downwardly extending bottom surfaces leading to upwardly extending undercut recesses in which the lugs on the cap skirt may be engaged. The cap has a resilient top from which the skirt depends and which is deformed by engagement of the lugs and the lug threads for biasing the lugs into the thread recesses to restrain relative horizontal rotation of the cap and can.

Unlted States Patent 11 1- 3,706,401

Gach 1451 Dec. 19, 1972 [54] CHILD-PROOF OVERCAP FOR AN 3,344,942 /1967 Hedgewiek .-.....2/40 x AEROSOL CAN 3,158,553 11/1964 Carshl 3,133,680 5 1964 SI' k' .222 18 [72] Inventor: Peter P. Gach, Evansville, Ind. lwms I 2 X [73] Assignee: Sunbeam Plastic Corporation, Evan- Primary Examme"RbeFt Reeves svme, Assistant Examiner-Larry Martin Att0rneyOwen & Owen [22] Flledz July 15, 1970 211 Appl. No.: 54,925 i [571 ABSTRACT A child-proof over cap for an aerosol can. The cap has [52 US. Cl ..222/153, 220/40 R, 222/182 3 skirt with inwardiy Pmtruding 220/ lower edge which are evenly. spaced circumferentially. [51] Int CL 1 867d 5/32 There is an annular element on the can which has a [58] Field estalt'55571;;12,225;1 4021, iiiiiiii iiiiiiiiipi iiiwiiiiyeiieiiiiig iiig iiieiii 222/402 12 402 13 220/27 6 6 adapted to be engaged by the lugs. The lug threads 60 f a f have downwardly extending bottom surfaces leading 1 5 to-upwardly extending undercut'r'ecesses in which the lugson the cap skirt may be engaged. The cap has a resilient top from which the skirt depends and which is [56] Referenvcs C'ted deformed by engagement of the lugs and the lug UNITED STATES PATENTS .threads forbiasing the lugs into the thread recesses to f v restrain relative horizontal rotation of the cap and 3,460,708 8/1969 Vollers ..222/l82 X 2,782,958 2/1957 Horles 1 ..220/40 X 3,462,045 8/1969 Markowitz ..222/l82 X 4 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures PATENTEDHIEB 19 m2 INVENTOR: I PE TEE P EAEH.

ATTys.

CHILD-PROOF OVERCAP FOR AN AEROSOL CAN BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Many household products such as insecticides, paint, cleansers, deodorants, disinfectants, and the like, are packaged in the aerosol pressurized cans and the inadvertent discharge of their valves is often'prevented by an overcap which snaps over the upper end of the can to cover the discharge valve. Many designs have been suggested in order to make the removal of the overcap dIfi ICUII or child-proof, so as to prevent a small child from discharging the contents of the can with injury to itself or damage to furniture, rugs and the like in the household.

Some designs of child-proof overcaps have required the use of a separate tool such as a screw driver in order to remove the overcap. Others have been frictionally retained so tightly as to make it impossible for a very small child to remove the overcap.

' It has also been learned in the study of such childproof" overcaps, that if a small child is required to make two movements, at least one of which is relatively difficult, the overcap is rendered more nearly childproof than if only one movement is necessary.

It is therefore the principle object of the instant invention to provide a substantially child-proof overcap for an aerosol can which covers the discharge valve and which requires both pressure in one direction and movement in another direction in order to remove the overcap.

just inside the seam 12 and circumjac ent the breast portion 11.

Aerosol cans such as the 'can.10 usually are also provided with an inverted cup-shaped overcap, such as that gen'erally indicated by the reference number 16, which comprises a substantially flat circular top 17, a downwardly extending outer skirt 18 and an inner retainer skirt 19. The lower edge of the outer skirt 18 extends downwardly into the groove.15. In conventional overcaps, the inner skirt l9 frequently frictionally engages the seam 14 by which the valve 13 is connected to the breast portion 11.

In an overcap accordingto the invention, the inner skirt 19 constitutes one of a pair of cooperating annular elements; in this embodiment of the invention the other cooperating annular element being a resilient annulus 20 (see FIG. According to the invention the skirt 19 and annulus have cooperating means for retaining the overcap 16 on the can 10 with sufficient force and resistance to removal to provide a substantially childproof closure for the can. The cooperating means comprise circumferentially spaced inwardly protruding lugs It is yet another object of the instant invention to provide a substantially -'child-proof overcap for an aerosol can so designed as to enable the overcap to be placed upon a standard aerosol can without the necessity for redesign and without difficulty in the assembly of the components.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a fragmentary, vertical, sectional view, with parts broken away, of a standard aerosol can equipped with a child-proof overcap according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary, horizontal, sectional view taken along the line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a horizontal, sectional view taken along th line 3-3 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a bottom view in perspective, with parts broken away, of an overcap embodying-the invention;

FIG. 5 is a detailed view in a perspective of one of the two cooperating elements which comprise an overcap embodying the invention; and

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary, vertical, sectional view taken generally from the position indicated by the line 6-6 of FIG. 5 but showing the element of FIG. 5 in place on an aerosol can.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT A standard type aerosol can, generally indicated by the reference number 10 in FIG. 1 has a breast portion 11 and an annular seam 12- by which the breast portion is attached to the body of .the can 10. At the top center of the breast portion 11 there is located a valve and dispensing nozzle 13 which is secured to the breast portion by an annular seam 14 (see also FIG. 6). The aerosol can 10 has an upwardly open groove 15 located 21 at the lower edge of the inner skirt l9 and a similar number of similarly spaced lug threads 22 integral with' and on the periphery of the annulus 20. The annulus 20 has an inwardly extending lip 23 and it is of such size that it snaps resiliently over the valve seam 14 as is most clearly shown in FIG. 6. By thus frictionally engaging the annulus 20 on the valve seam 14, the lug threads 22 are made functionally integral with the can 10. Y

Each of the lug threads 22, in this case three, has a downwardly inclined surface 24 leading to an undercut recess 25 of circumferential extent slightly larger than the circumferential extent of one of the lugs 21 at the bottom edge of the inner skirt 19. There are three of the lug threads 24 evenly spaced circumferentially around the annulus 20 and thus around the can 10 and, correspondingly, there are three lugs 21 also evenly spaced around the inner skirt 19.

Three spaces 26 between the lug threads 22 are of such circumferential extent that the three lugs 21 can be moved downwardly through the spaces 26 when the overcap 16 is first moved down onto the can 10.. The overcap 16 is moved downwardly until the lower edge of its outer skirt 18 bottoms out in the groove 15. At this point, the lugs 21 are at a level slightly above the level of the tops of the lug receiving recesses 25. The user then rotates the overcap 16 engaging the lugs 21 with the downwardly extending undersurfaces 24 of the lug threads 22. The top 17 of the overcap 16 is resilient so that upon further rotation of the overcap 16, engagement of the lugs 21 with the surfaces 24' of the lug threads 22 pulls downwardly, deforming the top 17 as shown in dotted lines in FIG. 1 and, after further rotation of the overcap 16, the lugs 21 are snapped upwardly into the recesses 22.

In order to remove the overcap 16, a user must first depress the center portion of the top 17 to move the lugs 21 downwardly a distance sufficient to fall below a lip 27 at the corner of the thread surface 24 and the recess 25, and then can rotate the overcap l6to move the lugs 21 a sufiicient distance so that they can be again pulled upwardly through the spaces 26. This eliminates the danger that a small child may gain access 1. A child-proof overcap for an aerosol can having a cylindrical body, an upper end joined to said can body by an annular seam, a central discharge valve in said upper end and an annular valve retaining seam concentric with said valve, said overcap comprising in combination,

an inverted cup-shaped cover enclosing said valve and having a top, an inner annular retainer skirt and an annular outer skirt, 7 a separate annular locking element mounted on and closely circumjacent said valve retaining seam and functionally integral with said can, cooperating annularly arranged groups of locking elements on said annular element and on said,

retainer skirt, one of said groups of locking elements comprising at least two lug threads evenly spaced circumferentially and protruding radially towards the others of said locking elements,

. 4 each of said lug threads having an angularly and downwardly extending undersurface and an upwardly extending undercut recess at the end of i said undersurface,

the other of said groups of locking elements comprising a similar number of similarly spaced lugs which protrude radially toward said lug threads and that are engageable with said lug threads and in said recesses upon rotation of said can and said cover relative to each other,

I means for resiliently biasing one of said groups of locking elements relative to the other of said groups of locking elements in an axial direction for moving said lugs into the recesses in said lug threads for restraining said cover against rotary and axial movements relative to said annular locking element and to said can.

2. A child-proof overcap according to claim 1 in which the means for biasing is a resilient portion of said cover top and said portion is deformable for engaging and disengaging said lugs and said lug threads.

3. A child-proof overcap according to claim 1 in which the lug threads are mounted on the annular locking element and the lugs are formed on the inner side of the annular retainer skirt.

4. A child-proof overcap according to claim 2 in which the lower end of the outer cover skirt engages the can end when the cover is in place. 

1. A child-proof overcap for an aerosol can having a cylindrical body, an upper end joined to said can body by an annular seam, a central discharge valve in said upper end and an annular valve retaining seam concentric with said valve, said overcap comprising in combination, an inverted cup-shaped cover enclosing said valve and having a top, an inner annular retainer skirt and an annular outer skirt, a separate annular locking element mounted on and closely circumjacent said valve retaining seam and functionally integral with said can, cooperating annularly arranged groups of locking elements on said annular element and on said retainer skirt, one of said groups of locking elements comprising at least two lug threads evenly spaced circumferentially and protruding radially towards the others of said locking elements, each of said lug threads having an angularly and downwardly extending undersurface and an upwardly extending undercut recess at the end of said undersurface, the other of said groups of locking elements comprising a similar number of similarly spaced lugs which protrude radially toward said lug threads and that are engageable with said lug threads and in said recesses upon rotation of said can and said cover relative to each other, means for resiliently biasing one of said groups of locking elements relative to the other of said groups of locking elements in an axial direction for moving said lugs into the recesses in said lug threads for restraining said cover against rotary and axial movements relative to said annular locking element and to said can.
 2. A child-proof overcap according to claim 1 in which the means for biasing is a resilient portion of said cover top and said portion is deformable for engaging and disengaging said lugs and said lug threads.
 3. A child-proof overcap according to claim 1 in which the lug threads are mounted on the annular locking element and the lugs are formed on the inner side of the annular retainer skirt.
 4. A child-proof overcap according to claim 2 in which the lower end of the outer cover skirt engages the can end when the cover is in place. 